Unknown Belarus

Unknown Belarus

It’s often called Europe’s last dictatorship; an oppressed, Russified country with a grandly mustachioed leader and a passion for potatoes. But how does everyday Belarus actually tick? And how do Belarusians define themselves? Thanks to scant media coverage, many outsiders struggle to say. From Minsk market workers to domestic violence shelters and state-assigned jobs, our monthly documentary series Unknown Belarus, created by Belarusian directors Lyubov Zemtsova and Julia Shatun and producer Vladimir Mikhailovski, will introduce you to the people, places, and phenomena of the real, little-seen Belarus.

Schedule:Unknown Belarus premiered on Sunday, February 16, 2020. The program is broadcast once per month at 8:30 p.m. Minsk and Moscow time and at 7:30 p.m. Kyiv time. Watch the program live online, on satellite, or via our broadcast partners.

Unknown Belarus' premiere episode takes a look at the country's largest agricultural bazaar, Minsk's Komarovsky market, popularly known as Komarovka. The stories of the farmers and workers here offer insight into everyday life from throughout Belarus.